Electric-lighting system



(No Model.) I

T. A. EDISON. ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Patented June 24, 1890.

INVENTDR:

Elec. Ce/l Maw 4 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF MENLO PARK, NEWV JERSEY. x

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,934, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed June 29, 1883. Serial No. 99,555. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDISON, of Menlo Park, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Lighting Systems, (Case N o. 579,) of which the following is a specification.

-The object I have in view is to provid means for operating electrical apparatus located at different points in an electric-light circuit from the source of supply without the employment for that purpose of a circuit pense and inconvenience of operating them separately by hand. This I accomplish by the use of polarized apparatus located in connection with the lamp or lamps or other deare located incandescing electric lamps a.

At or near the machine A a current-reversing switch Bis inserted in the line of the main conductors 1 2, so that the polarity of the current in the lamp-circuit outside of said switch can be changed at will.

C, D, and E represent polarized apparatus, any number of which may be employed, located at any desirable points in the electriclight circuit. This apparatus may be of any moved does not affect the main circuit, and the magnet, with its armature, is termeda Inechanically-movin g electrical apparatus. The coils of the electro-magnet are located in any separate from the light-circuit, and more essuitable construction. It isshown as compecially to provide means of this character posed of a U-shaped electro-magnet b, be- 15 for turning on and 01f from the source of tween thepoles of whichis locatedthefree end currentsupply certain lampsas, for inof a pivoted polarized armature c. This arm stance, street-lamps, whether of the incanconstitutes a circuit-terminal for the branch descent or are type-thus avoiding the excircuit with which it is connected, and when vices to be operated, which polarized apparasuitable circuit from the electric-light circuit. tus is actuated by a reversal in the polarity A multiple-arc circuit 5 6 from 1 2 or from 25 of the current at the source of supply, a suita house-circuit 3 4 or from any branch cirable switch being provided at or near the cuit of the system may be employed. Now. generator or generators for this purpose. it will be seen that when the current is fiow- This method of producing motion on an elecing in one direction the pivoted polarized 8o trio-light circuit is preferably employed in a system wherein the regular lamps or other translating devices are not affected by changes in the polarity of the current, such as a system employing my simple incandescing electric lamps, which are preferably arranged in multiple are or multiple series; but translating devices may be employed which are affected by changes in the polarity of the current-such as my electrolytic-cell meter or are lamps-and the current in such translating devices will be maintained of one polarity by similar polarized apparatus.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, the figure is a view, partly diagrammatic, of an electric-lighting system embodying my present improvement.

A is a dynamo or magneto electric machine, one or more of which may be employed. From this machine extend the main conductors 1 2. A field-circuit of the machine is shown as a multiple-arc circuit from 1 2, and as provided with an adjustable resistance for regulating the machine. House-circuits armature 0 will be moved one way by the magnet b, and a reversal of the current will cause the movement of the armature in the other direction. The movement produced in this manner can be utilized to work various devices.

In the drawings the movement is shown as used to open and close the circuits of electric lamps F G and to change the connections of an electrolytic-cell meter II. Two arrangements of circuits are shown for opening and closing the lamp-circuits, either of which may be employed. The lamp F is placed directly in circuit with the coils of the magnet b, which coils are of low resistance. The lever c and one of its contacts is also in this same circuit, and around the contacts of the lever is a shunt containing a high resistance R. This resistance allows enough current to pass to work the polarized armature, but not sufficient current to light the lamp. "Tile lamp G is placed in a separate multiple-arc circuit 7 8, passing through the lever c and one of its contacts. The magnet-coils in the circuit 5 6 of the apparatus D are of high resistance, or an extra resistance is employed in series therewith. Since the heavy lighting-current will always pass in one direction through the lamps F G, those lamps may be regulatorlamps of any description or simple incandescing lamps. It is evident, also, that the circuit of a number of lamps could be opened and closed by a single polarized apparatus, and that an electrolytic-cell meter could be used in connection with the lamps. If, however, it is desired to use an electrolytic-cell meter in connection with the regular lamps, or any other device a-flfeeted by changes in the polarity of the current, this may be done by utilizing the polarized apparatus to change the connections of the meter or other translating device or devices thus affected. The polarized apparatus E is arranged in connection with a meter H for this purpose. The meter is connected in circuit through a cur: rent-reverser I, of which the polarized lever 0 forms a part. A change in the polarity of the current works the reverser and changes connections of meter, keeping the direction of the current therethrough constant.

A conventional form of reverser is shown, the operation of which will be readily understood. One side of circuit passes through lamps to the stationary central block of reverser. The other side of circuit goes to polarized lever e. The meter is-conneeted with the two springrarms of reverser. In its opposite positions the lever 0 makes contact with the opposite spring-arms and throws them oif of the central block of reverser, allowing the other armto rest on such block, and hence the connections of the meter with the circuit are reversed.

I do not claim in this case any matter shown or described but not claimed herein which is shown or described in my applications, Serial Nos. 65,233 and 91,954.

lVhat I claim is 1. The combination, with an electrical circuit, of the electric lamps'operative with either polarity of current connected in the circuit, means for reversing the polarity of the current in the circuit, and polarized electrical apparatus connected in abranch of the same circuit outside of the reversing device and operative without changing. the main lamp-circuit, whereby the polarized apparatus may be controlled without affecting the lamps, substantially-as described.

2. The combination, with an electrical circuit, of electric lamps operative with either polarity of current connected in the circuit, means for reversing the polarity of the current in the circuit, another lamp connected in a branch of the same circuit outside of the reversing device, and an eleetrically-operated circuit-controller for said branch c011- .trolling said other lamp, whereby both sets of lamps may be burned simultaneously, or the first set may be burned alone, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an electrical circuit, of one or' more translating devices affected by changes in the polarity of the current and polarized mechanically-inoving electrical apparatus for maintaining constant the direction of the current through such de- Vice or devices independent of changes in the polarity of the current'in the circuit, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with an electrical circuit, of polarized mechanically-moviug electrical apparatus for operating mechanism by translating devices not injuriously atfeeted' by changes in polarity of current, translating devices affected by changes in polarity of current, and other polarized mechanicallyjmovingelectrical apparatus for maintaining {constant the direction of the current through the latter translating. devices, substantially as set forth.

} 6. The combination, with an electric-light circuit and a current-reversing.switch for such circuit, of electric lamps, an electrolytic meter, and polarized mechanieally-moving electrical apparatus for maintaining constant the direction of the current through such meter, substantially as set forth.

, This specification signed and witnessed this 25th dayof June, 1883.

THOS. .A. EDISON.

\Vitnesses:

H.- W. SEELY, EDWARD H. PYATT. 

